THE HARVARD REFERENCING METHOD

Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE ................................................................................. 2
2. BOOKS BY A SINGLE AUTHOR OR AN EDITOR ......................................................... 4
3. BOOKS WRITTEN BY MULTIPLE AUTHORS .............................................................. 5
4. INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS IN EDITED BOOKS.............................................................. 6
5. JOURNAL ARTICLES .................................................................................................... 7
6. JOURNAL ARTICLES SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION (Unpublished)....................... 7
7. JOURNAL ARTICLES IN PRESS (Unpublished) ........................................................... 7
8. THESES ........................................................................................................................ 8
9. PUBLICATIONS OF CORPORATE BODIES ................................................................. 8
10.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS ............................................................................... 9
11.
REFERENCE MATERIAL (Dictionaries, encyclopaedias, etc) .................................. 10
12.
UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL ..................................................................................... 11
13.
GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS ............................................................................. 12
14.
PUBLICATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS...................................... 12
15.
VIDEOS AND FILMS ................................................................................................ 13
16.
RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS ............................................................. 13
17.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ........................................................................................ 14
18.
UNISA STUDY GUIDES ........................................................................................... 15
19.
PERSONAL
COMMUNICATIONS
(see
also
PERSONAL
ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATIONS) ......................................................................................................... 16
20.
INTERNET SOURCES ............................................................................................. 17
21.
MAILBASE / LISTSERVE E-MAIL LISTS ................................................................. 18
22.
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS (E-MAIL) ..................................... 19
23.
CD-ROMS (Works in their own right and not bibliographic databases) ..................... 19
24.
FULL-TEXT SOURCES FROM LIBRARY RESOURCES INCLUDING ELECTRONIC
JOURNALS (ONLINE AND CD-ROM) ............................................................................... 20
25.
SECONDARY REFERENCING ................................................................................ 21
26.
EXAMPLE OF A REFERENCE LIST ........................................................................ 21

1.

INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE

The Department of Business Management within the College of Economic and Management
Sciences at Unisa uses the Harvard Referencing method. This method has been
internationally accepted and standardised. It is a widely accepted referencing method in
many higher education institutions worldwide.
Guide for referencing
This appendix includes a guide about how to cite books, chapters, journal articles, theses,
personal communication, the Internet and so forth. This guide was originally compiled by the
librarians of the Unisa School for Business Leadership (SBL) and later updated by staff
members in the Department of Business Management. A sample list of references has also
been included at the end of this guide. It is very important that you use the contents of this
guide in your assignments, research proposals and research reports when compiling a list of
references and citing sources in text. You will be penalised if you do not use the correct
referencing technique and if you do not include a list of references of a high academic
standard.

Using the guide

When writing an assignment, research report, dissertation or thesis, it is important that each
time you use someone elses ideas from a book, article, newspaper report, conference
proceeding or the Internet, you let your reader know. This is called a reference. Failure to
provide references may expose you to charges of plagiarism and render your research
worthless.
References are cited for the following reasons:
to indicate the source of any statements made
to acknowledge authors works
to provide sources of additional information
The information given within the different formats listed in the guide above will vary, but
enough information should be provided to allow your reader to identify your references and
distinguish them from other versions of the same material.
In the examples given in the guide and when you reference, note especially:
the order
use of capital letters
use of italics or underlining (Underlining is used if where the written research is
handwritten or typed on a conventional typewriter. Use italics when typing up the
research on a word processor)
spacing
punctuation
use of quotes and quotation marks
use of brackets, both round () and angle [ ]
use of the ampersand &

List of references
The Department of Business Management require a single list at the end of the written work
that provides details of items actually referred to in the written work. The list of references
in this case will then simply list the reading which is relevant and which you have consulted,
and which you have referred to, in the text.

2. BOOKS BY A SINGLE AUTHOR OR AN EDITOR

The citation order is as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Year of publication. Title of book (in italics or underlined.) Edition.
Place of publication: publisher.
For example:
Palmer, A. 1998. Principles of services marketing. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Or
Editors surname, initials. Year of publication. Title of book (in italics or underlined.) Edition.
Place of publication: publisher.
Barrow, J. ed. 1999. Cases in services marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill.
The title is underlined if your work is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
For example
Palmer, A. 1998. Principles of services marketing. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Citing this form of reference in the body of the assignment or thesis
If the authors name occurs naturally in the sentence, just add the year in brackets.
For example:
Palmer (1998) describes how services marketing works in practice.
Otherwise, put both the name and the year in brackets at the end of the sentence:
For example: (Palmer, 1998)
If you are quoting directly from Palmers book, the quotes are in inverted commas, followed
by the reference to Palmer with the relevant page numbers.
For example: (Palmer, 1998:23-24)
If the author has published more than one document (ie book or article) in the same year,
distinguish between them by adding a, b, c etc after the date and ensure that they are all
listed in the list of references.
For example, supposing you have used another 1998
assignment:

title

by Palmer

to write

the

Palmer, A. 1998. Relationship marketing. London: ABC Publications.

It will, therefore, be necessary to distinguish between the titles in the body of the assignment
or thesis. This is done as follows:
4

(Palmer, 1998a)
(Palmer, 1998b)
The same principles apply to the book edited by Barrow.
3. BOOKS WRITTEN BY MULTIPLE AUTHORS
If there are two authors, these are cited as follows:
First authors surname, initials. and second authors surname, initials. Year of publication.
Title of book (in italics or underlined). Edition. Place of publication: publisher.
For example:
Dent, P. and Jones, R. 1994. Planning at work. London: ABC Publications.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Dent, P. and Jones, R. 1994. Planning at work. London: ABC Publications..
Citing this form of reference in the body of the assignment or thesis
If a source has multiple (two or more) authors, the ampersand (&) sign may be used in place
of the word and where authors are listed in the body of the assignment or thesis that
appear in brackets as well as in the list of references. However, the ampersand sign (&) may
not be used when the authors are listed as part of a normal sentence.
An incorrect example would be:
According to Dent & Jones (1994:12), strategy implementation is a subset of strategic
management.
The correct example would be:
According to Dent and Jones (1994:12), strategy implementation is a subset of strategic
management.
Another incorrect example would be:
Strategy implementation is a subset of strategic management (Dent and Jones, 1994:12).
The correct example would be:
Strategy implementation is a subset of strategic management (Dent & Jones, 1994:12)
More than two authors
If there are three authors, these are cited as follows:

First authors surname, initials., second authors surname, initials. & third authors surname,
initials. Year of publication. Title of book (in italics or underlined). Edition. Place of
publication: publisher.
Note the use of the ampersand (&) between the names of the last two authors.
For example:
Cooper, P., Codd, J. & Smith, L. 1998. Research methods for management. London: ABC
Publications.
The title is underlined if your assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Cooper, P., Codd, J. & Smith, L. 1998. Research methods for management. London: ABC
Publications.
Citing this form of reference in the body of the assignment or thesis
In the body of your assignment or thesis, all three names are mentioned the first time you
cite them, for example (Cooper, Codd & Smith, 1998). For subsequent citations, only the first
author followed by et al; in italics and a semi-colon, is used: (Cooper, et al; 1998).
When quoting directly from the book, include the page numbers:
(Cooper, et al; 1998:43-44)
The words et al are underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a
conventional typewriter (Cooper, et al; 1998).
The same principle applies to four or more authors.
4. INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS IN EDITED BOOKS
When a book is a compilation of individual chapters by different authors, or a collection of
conference papers, an individual chapter or paper is cited in the list of references as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Date of publication. Title of chapter or paper. In: Editors
surname, initials. ed(s). Title of book. (in italics). Place of publication: publisher. Page
numbers of the individual article.
Note that the title of chapter or paper is in quotes.
For example:
Palmer, A. 1999. Services marketing is not new. In: Berry, J. and Swan, P. eds. Services
marketing, concepts and cases. New York: McGraw-Hill. 101-120.
In its underlined format:
Palmer, A. 1999. Services marketing is not new. In: Berry, J. and Swan, P. eds. Services
marketing, concepts and cases. New York: McGraw-Hill. 101-120.

Citing this form of reference in the body of the assignment or thesis

When citing an individual chapter or article within the body of the thesis or assignment, refer
to it as (Palmer, 1999). When quoting directly, add the page number (Palmer, 1999: 13)
5. JOURNAL ARTICLES
These are cited as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Date of publication. Title of article, Name of journal, (in italics)
followed by a comma, Volume number (Part no): page numbers.
Note that the title of the article is in quotes.
For example:
Terrill, C.A. 1992. The ten commandments of new service development, Management
Review, 81(2):24-27.
The title of the journal is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a
conventional typewriter.
Terrill, C.A. 1992. The ten commandments of new service development, Management
Review, 81(2):24-27.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Terril, 1992). When quoting directly, add the page number (Terrill,
1992:45).
6. JOURNAL ARTICLES SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION (Unpublished)
These are cited as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Year of submission. Title of article, Name of journal. Manuscript
submitted for publication.
For example:
Murray, J. 2001. E-commerce, is it that promising? PC Week. Manuscript submitted for
publication.
The title of the journal is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a
conventional typewriter.
7. JOURNAL ARTICLES IN PRESS (Unpublished)
Authors surname, initials. Year of printing. Title of article, Name of journal. Manuscript in
press.
For example:
7

Omah, A. 2001. Service excellence in local business, People Dynamics. Manuscript in

press.
The title of the journal is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a
conventional typewriter.
8. THESES
When referring to an unpublished dissertation or thesis, the name of the relevant degree, the
name of the university that awarded the degree and the location of the university (even if the
name of the location forms part of the name of the university) are given instead of the place
of publication and the name of the publisher.
These are cited in the list of references as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Year of acceptance. Title. Degree. Name of institution, Place.
For example:
Smith, J. 2000. An investigation of the impact of services marketing on the airline industry.
DBL thesis. University of South Africa, Pretoria.
Note: The title of an unpublished work is not italicised or underlined.
Citing this form of reference in the body of the assignment or thesis
In the body of the essay, refer to (Smith, 2000). When quoting directly, add the page
numbers (Smith, 2000:92).
9. PUBLICATIONS OF CORPORATE BODIES
A work for which a single corporate body is responsible is entered under the name of the
body as follows:
The body responsible for the document. Date. Title (in italics). Place of publication:
Publisher. If the body is the author and publisher of the document, it is named twice.
For example:
International Monetary Fund. 1977. Balance of payments manual. 4th ed. Washington,DC:
International Monetary Fund.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
International Monetary Fund. 1977. Balance of payments manual. 4th ed. Washington,DC:
International Monetary Fund.

Citing this form of reference in the body of the assignment or thesis

In this case, refer to it as (International Monetary Fund, 1977). If quoting directly from this
source, add the page number (International Monetary Fund, 1977:341).
10. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
The format of the citation for full conference proceedings is:
Author or editors surname, initials. Year. Title of conference: subtitle (including location and
date of conference) (in italics). Publisher.
For example:
Andersson, T. ed. 2001. Getting started with electronic commerce: proceedings of the 1st
International Conference on Electronic Commerce, Geneva, October 2-4, 2001. Ecommerce Unlimited.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Andersson, T. ed. 2001. Getting started with electronic commerce: proceedings of the 1st
International Conference on Electronic Commerce, Geneva, October2-4, 2001.
Ecommerce Unlimited.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case refer to it as (Andersson, 2001). If quoting directly from this source, add the
page numbers (Andersson, 2001:98)
The format of the citation for a specific conference paper is:
Surname of author of the paper, initials. Year of publication. Title of paper. In: Editors
surname, initials. ed. Title of conference and subtitle, including location and date of
conference (in italics or underlined). Publisher: Pagination.
Note that the title of the paper is in quotes and the title of the full conference proceedings is
in italics or underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
For example:
Wheeler, D. 2001. Getting to grips with the e-supply chain. In: Andersson, T. ed. Getting
started with electronic commerce: proceedings of the 1st International Conference on
Electronic Commerce, Geneva, October 2-4, 2001. E-commerce Unlimited. 121-139.
Wheeler, D. 2001. Getting to grips with e-supply chain. In: Andersson, T. ed. Getting
started with
electronic commerce: proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Electronic
Commerce, Geneva, October 2-4, 2001. E-commerce Unlimited. 121-139.

Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis

In this case, refer to it as (Wheeler, 2001). If quoting directly from this source add the page
number (Wheeler, 2001:122)
11. REFERENCE MATERIAL (Dictionaries, encyclopaedias, etc)
Citing alphabetically arranged works such as dictionaries and encyclopaedias is sometimes
problematic and you should be aware of the following
a)
b)
c)
d)

In many cases such works are known by their titles.

It is not always possible to identify the author of a particular contribution.
A lengthy list of names of contributors and/or editors often appears on the title page.
Some of these works are often associated with a particular person or do not have
more than three authors or editors.
e) Not all encyclopaedias are arranged alphabetically.
In many cases, reference material is cited by title as follows:
Title. (in italics). Year. Place of publication: publisher.
For example:
Concise Oxford Dictionary of current English.1995. ed. by Thompson, D. 9th ed. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
International Encyclopedia of Business & Management. 6 vols. 1996. ed. by Warner, W.
London: Routledge.
The title is underlined if handwritten or if you are using a conventional typewriter.
For example:
International Encyclopedia of Business & Management. 6 vols. 1996. ed. by M. Warner.
London: Routledge, 1996.
Depending on the preference of your study leader, reference works may also be cited under
the name of the editor:
Editors surname, initials. ed. Year. Title (in italics). Place of Publication: publisher.
For example:
Warner, M. ed. 1996. International encyclopedia of business & management. 6 vols. London:
Routledge.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Warner, M. ed. 1996. International encyclopedia of business & management. 6 vols. London:
Routledge.

10

Another option is to cite the reference under the name of the author contributing to the
reference work.
Authors surname, initials. Date. Title of contribution. In: Editors surname, initials. ed(s).
Title reference work. (in italics). Place of publication: Publisher. Page numbers of individual
contribution.
For example:
Heller, F. 1996. Leadership. In: Warner, M. ed. International encyclopedia of business &
management. Vol 3. London: Routledge. 2541-2549.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Heller, F. 1996. Leadership. In: Warner, M. ed. International encyclopedia of business &
management. Vol 3. London: Routledge. 2541-2549.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
This will depend on the option which you have selected (ie under the title of the reference
work or under the name of the editor or under the name of the contributing author).
For example:
(International Encyclopedia of Business and Management, Vol 3, 1996).
(Concise Oxford dictionary of current English, 1995)
(Warner, 1996)
(Heller, 1996)
If quoting directly from this source, add the page numbers:
(International Encyclopaedia of Business and management, Vol 3, 1996:678).
(Concise Oxford dictionary of current English, 1995:112)
(Warner, 1996:2541)
(Heller, 1996:2541).
Please be consistent when using the option you have selected.
12. UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL
This is cited as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Year. Title. Details of what the report or paper was for.
Unpublished.
For example:
11

Collins, J. 1997. Report on visit to international business schools. Report to the Unisa
Graduate School of Business Leadership. Unpublished.
Note: The title of an unpublished work is neither italicised nor underlined.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Collins, 1997). When quoting directly from this source, add the
page numbers (Collins, 1997:11).
13. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS
Government publications include: government gazettes, annual reports, laws and their
amendments, Hansard (parliamentary debates), green papers, white papers, scientific and
technical reports.
Government Publications are cited as follows:
Name of country, state or province. The name of the legislative body, court, executive
department, bureau, council, commission or committee. If given, the name of the relevant
sections, office, etc,. Year of publication. Title (in italics). Report number. Further particulars
to be mentioned will depend on the nature of the source.
For example:
South Africa. Central Statistical Service. 1996. Statistical release. PO317. Pretoria: Central
Statistical Service.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
South Africa. Central Statistical Service. 1996. Statistical release. PO317. Pretoria: Central
Statistical Service
It is important to give the number of the publication since it helps to trace the source. If the
number is not available, it is omitted.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
When citing the government publication in the assignment or thesis, refer to it as (South
Africa. Central Statistical Service, 1996). When quoting directly from this source, add the
page numbers
(South Africa. Central Statistical Service, 1996: ii-iv).
14. PUBLICATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
These are cited in the list of references as follows:
Name of issuing body. Year of publication. Title of publication (in italics). Place of
publication: Publisher. Report Number (if given).
For example:
12

UNESCO. 1999. General information programme and summary of activities. Paris: Unesco.
(PGI-93/WS/22).
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
UNESCO. 1999. General information programme and summary of activities. Paris: Unesco.
(PGI-93/WS/22).
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (UNESCO, 1999.) If quoting directly from this source, add the
page numbers (UNESCO, 1999:21).
15. VIDEOS AND FILMS
Videos are cited in the list of references as follows:
Title (in italics). Year. Format, ie film or video. Subsidiary originator (if given). SURNAME (in
capitals). Production details (if available). Place of producer: Producing organisation.
For example:
How to deal with cultural diversity in the work place. 1999. Video. Based on the book by
Sally WALTON. Chicago, IL: Jack Wilson and Associates.
The title is underlined if handwritten or if you are using a conventional typewriter.
How to deal with cultural diversity in the work place. 1999. Video. Based on book by Sally
WALTON. Chicago, IL: Jack Wilson and Associates.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
When citing this reference in the assignment or thesis, refer to it as (How to deal with cultural
diversity
in the workplace, 1999). When quoting directly from this video, use inverted commas at the
beginning and end of the quote ...cultural diversity is a fact in many multinational firms...
followed by
(How to deal with cultural diversity in the workplace, 1999)
16. RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS
These are cited as follows:
Broadcast company. Year. Title of programme (in italics). Off-air recording. Transmission
date. Format.
For example:
SABC 3. 2000. News at 8. Off-air recording. 9 March 2000. Video.

13

Radio 702. 2001. John Robbie show. Off-air recording. 8 March 2001. Audiotape.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
SABC 3. 2000. News at 8. Off-air recording. 9 March 2000. Video.
Radio 702. 2001. John Robbie show. Off-air recording. 8 March 2001. Audiotape.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (SABC 3, 2000) or (Radio 702, 2001). When quoting directly from
this broadcast, use inverted commas at the beginning and end of the quote and refer to it as
(SABC3, 2000) or (Radio 702, 2001). For example, if you are quoting directly from an off-air
recording of a radio interview, the form would be:
According to Bob Jenkins, CEO of SA Investments, ... big business is getting involved in
community projects .... (Radio 702, 2001).
17. NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Author identifiable
These are cited as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Year. Title of the article, Name of the newspaper (in italics). Date
of issue, Page number(s).
Note that the title of the article or news item is in quotes.
For example:
Jones, D. 2001. Asmal says life-skills education will be enforced in every school, Business
Day. 22 August. 4.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Jones, D. 2001. Asmal says life-skills education will be enforced in every school, Business
Day. 22 August. 4.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In the body of the assignment or thesis, refer to it as (Jones, 2001). If quoting directly, add
the page number (Jones, 2001:4)
No author identifiable
If no author can be identified, enter it under the headline or news item:
Title of news item or headline. Year. Title of Newspaper (in italics or underlined). Date of
issue. Page number (s).

14

For example:
Opec countries agree to keep oil output steady. 2001. Business Day, 27 September: 8.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Opec countries agree to keep oil output steady. 2001. Business Day, 27 September:8.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Opec countries agree to keep oil output steady, 2001). If quoting
directly, include the page number (Opec countries agree to keep oil output steady, 2001:9)
No author or headline identifiable
If neither the name of the author nor the headline of the report is given, make an entry under
the name of the newspaper.
Name of newspaper. (in italics or underlined). Year. Date. Page number.
For example:
Business Day. 2001. 27 September. 6.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Business Day. 2001. 27 September. 6.

Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis

Refer to it as (Business Day, 2001) If quoting directly, add the page number (Business Day,
2001:6)
18. UNISA STUDY GUIDES
Unisa study guides are considered published works. A study guide is entered under
author(s) in accordance with the stipulations set out under Books written by one or more
authors.
Study guides are cited as follows:
Authors/editors surname and initials. Year of publication. Title of study guide (in italics or
underlined). Edition. Place of publication: publisher.
For example:
Freeman, T. 1998. Leadership for South African organisations: study guide for MBL019-L.
Pretoria: University of South Africa.

15

The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Freeman, T. 1998. Leadership for South African Organisations:
study guide for MBL019-L. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Freeman, 1998). If quoting from the study guide, add the page
number (Freeman, 1998:31)
If no author is mentioned for a study guide, the University of South Africa is considered the
corporate body responsible for the study guide. This would be cited in the list of references
as follows:
Name of the University. Teaching Department. Year. Title of study guide (in italics or
underlined). Place of publication.
For example:
University of South Africa. Graduate School of Business Leadership. 1997.Transforming
organisations in South Africa: study guide for MBL018-C. Pretoria.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
University of South Africa. Graduate School of Business Leadership. 1997. Transforming
organisations in South Africa: study guide for MBL018-C. Pretoria.
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (University of South Africa, 1997). If quoting directly from this study
guide, add the page number (University of South Africa, 1997:31).
19. PERSONAL
COMMUNICATIONS
COMMUNICATIONS)

(see

also

PERSONAL

ELECTRONIC

This is where you have conducted personal, written or telephonic interviews about the
subject you are researching. These are cited as follows:
Surname, initials of person being interviewed. The position of the person (if applicable).Year.
Nature of interview, (eg personal interview, correspondence). Day and month. Place.
For example:
Maggs, P. N. Director, E-Commerce Solutions Ltd. 2001. Personal interview. 27 September,
Midrand.
James, T. IT Project Leader, E-Commerce Solutions Ltd. 2001. Correspondence. 1
September, Midrand.

16

20. INTERNET SOURCES

No standard method for citing electronic sources of information has yet been agreed upon.
The recommendations in this document follow the practices most likely to be adopted and
are intended solely as a guide.
The basic structure of a reference to information on the World Wide Web is as follows:
Author, Initials. Year. Title of article or web page in sentence case. [Online] Available from:
URL [Accessed: date accessed]. You should include the complete URL of the specific web
page within a web site that you have used as a source of information to enable to reader to
find the information again.
When the web page does not have a specific, identifiable author:
Use the name of the company/organisation or the word "Anon" (without the inverted
commas) in place of the author. For example: Eskom. 2009. Eskom annual report 2009.
[Online]
Available
from:
http://www.eskom.co.za/annreport09/ar_2009/index_annual_report.htm. [Accessed: 18 May
2009].
When the web page does not have a date of publication:
Look for the date on which the page was last modified - this date often appears at the bottom
of a page. Alternatively, use the abbreviation "n.d." or the words "Not dated". (without the
inverted commas).
When the web page does not have a clear title:
Use the main (i.e. most distinctive) heading on the web page as the title. For example:
University of South Africa. 2012. Student policies and rules. [Online] Available from:
http://www.unisa.ac.z/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=27715. [Accessed: 25 July
2012].
Because web pages do not have page numbers, page numbers are not included in any intext citations.
Indicate the exact URL of the web page and the date you visited it. Do not allow the URL to
run over into a second line. Should this not be possible, separate it after a forward slash /.
A full stop should be put at the end of the reference list item.
The citation form is as follows:
Authors/Editors surname. Initials. Year. (Or No date if date of publication is not given in the
source). Title (in italics or underlined) [online] (indicates types of medium, use for all Internet
sources). Place of publication: Publisher (publisher in the traditional sense or organisation
responsible for maintaining sites on the Internet). Available from: URL. [Accessed date] (This
is the date on which you viewed or downloaded the document.)
For example:
Smith, J. 1999. Outsourcing logistics [online]. Chicago: Logistics International. Available
from: http://www.logisticsinternational.org.us/html [Accessed 28 November 1999].

17

If no date is given, it is cited as follows:

Smith, J. No date. Outsourcing logistics [online]. Chicago: Logistics International. Available
from: http://www.logisticsinternational.org.us/html [Accessed 28 November 1999].
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Smith, J. 1999. Outsourcing logistics [online]. Chicago: Logistics International. Available
from: http://www.logisticsinternational.org.us/html [Accessed 28 November 1999].
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Smith, 1999). If quoting directly, add a page number (Smith,
1999:3). If there is no page number, use inverted commas at the beginning and end of the
quote and add (Smith, 1999). If no date is given, it is cited (Smith, no date).
Organisations place a great deal of information on the Internet without mentioning a specific
author. In such cases, ascribe authorship to the smallest identifiable organisational unit.
(This is similar to the standard method for citing documents produced by a corporate body.)
See under Corporate Body.
21. MAILBASE / LISTSERVE E-MAIL LISTS
It should be noted that items may only be kept on a discussion group for a short time and
therefore may not be suitable for referencing. A local copy should be kept by the researcher
or student writing the assignment or thesis, with a note to this effect.
These are cited as follows:
Authors surname. Day Month Year. Subject of message. Discussion list (in italics or
underlined) [online]. Available from: give the list e-mail address [Accessed Date].
For example:
Skyman, D. 2 May 2001. Electronic commerce. E-commerce. [online]. Available from
EClistserve@FTP.NRG.DTU.DK [Accessed 30 June 2001].
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Skyman, D. 2 May 2001. Electronic commerce. E-commerce. [online]. Available from
EClistserve@FTP.NRG.DTU.DK [Accessed 30 June 2001].
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Skyman, 2001). If quoting directly and no pagination can be
identified, use inverted commas at the beginning and end of the quote and add (Skyman,
2001). If pagination has been given, add the relevant page number (Skyman, 2001:1).

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22. PERSONAL ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS (E-MAIL)

These are cited as follows:
Senders surname. Initials. (Senders E-mail address). (Day Month Year). Re: Subject of
message (in italics or underlined). E-mail to Recipient (Recipients E-mail address).
For example:
Jay, P. (jayp54@hotmail.com)
Ndlovu (mndlovu@unisa.ac.za)

(9 March 2001). Re: Outsourcing supply. E-mail to M.

The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Jay, P. (jayp54@hotmail.com)
Ndlovu (mndlovu@unisa.ac.za)

(9 March 2001). Re: Outsourcing supply. E-mail to M.

Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis

In the body of the assignment or thesis refer to (Jay, 2001).
Since there is no fixed
pagination for this type of citation, inverted commas at the beginning and end of the quote
are used with the addition of (Jay, 2001).
23. CD-ROMS (Works in their own right and not bibliographic databases)
These are cited in the list of references as follows:
Author/editors surname, initials. Year. Title (in italics or underlined) [type of medium] Edition.
Place of publication. Publisher (if known). Supplier or Database identifier.
For example:
Shaw, B. 1999. A journey through leadership challenges: interactive exercises. [CD-Rom].
New York: Multimedia Publishers.
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
Shaw, B. 1999. A journey through leadership challenges: interactive exercises. [CD-Rom].
New York: Multimedia Publishers.
Citing this form of reference in the body of the assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Shaw, 1993). Since no pagination can be identified, use inverted
commas at the beginning and end of any direct quotes, followed by the citation (Shaw,
1993).

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24. FULL-TEXT SOURCES FROM LIBRARY RESOURCES INCLUDING ELECTRONIC

JOURNALS (ONLINE AND CD-ROM)
NB: The pagination of journals on electronic full-text databases sometime differs from its
print equivalent. It is important to indicate to your reader which format of the journal you are
using.
Full-text sources
Full-text sources are cited as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Year Month Day. Title of article,
Journal title, (in italics or underlined) [Type of medium], volume
(issue number), pagination if given or any other indicator of length.
Available: supplier/database name and number/identifier number,
item or accession number [Accessed date].
For example:
Crow, P. 1994. GATT shows progress in Congress. Oil and gas journal, [online], 92(49), 32
(1p) Available: Information Access/Expanded Academic Index ASAP/A 15955498 [Accessed
on: 28 November 1999]
The title of the journal is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a
conventional typewriter.
Crow, P. 1994. GATT shows progress in Congress. Oil and gas journal, [online], 92(49), 32
(1p) Available: Information Access/Expanded Academic Index ASAP/A 15955498 [Accessed
on: 28 November 1999]
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Crow, 1994). If quoting directly from the article, add the page
number (Crow, 1994:21).
Electronic journals
Electronic journals are cited as follows:
Authors surname, initials. Year. Title of article, Journal title, (in italics or underlined)
[online]. Volume (issue), page number. Date retrieved. Location within host. Available from:
URL [Accessed date].
For example:
Miller, M. 1999. Trends in e-commerce, Internet magazine, [online]. 3(2), 86+. Retrieved
December 17, 2000. From InfoTrac database. Available from: http://infotrac.galegroup.com
[Accessed December 17,2000]
The title is underlined if the assignment is handwritten or if you are using a conventional
typewriter.
For example:

20

Miller, M. 1999. Trends in e-commerce, Internet magazine, [online]. 3(2), 86+. Retrieved
December 17,2000 from InfoTrac database. Available from: http://infotrac.galegroup.com
[Accessed December 17, 2000]
Note: If you have downloaded the article in PDF format and it looks exactly like the print
equivalent, use the format for JOURNAL ARTICLES
Citing this form of reference in the body of your assignment or thesis
In this case, refer to it as (Miller, 1999). If using a direct quote from this source, the citation is
given with a page number (Miller, 1999:32)
25. SECONDARY REFERENCING
You may wish to quote a piece of work that has been referred to in something you have
read. This is called secondary referencing because you have not read the original piece of
work. In other words, you are relying on the author you are reading to give a fair reflection of
the contents of the original work. Wherever possible, it is important to read the original work,
but this may be difficult in some instances. If you have to refer to a secondary reference,
your text must make it clear that you have not read the original.
For example:
Research used by Smith (2000) regarding services marketing show that the indicators
formulated by Grant (1994) in his PhD thesis entitled Services marketing in transportation
(Dunhill University) apply to the airline industry.
The work by Smith 2000 is included in your list of references because this is where you read
about Grants research. However, the work by Grant 1994 is not included. You cannot
include details about the original study simply because you have not consulted the original
study.
Should you have any queries with regard to citing references in your assignment or thesis,
please consult your subject librarian.
26. EXAMPLE OF A REFERENCE LIST
The following is an example of a list of references using the examples given in this guide.
Please note: Titles that are italicised in this list of references may be underlined if your
research is handwritten or typed on a conventional typewriter.
LIST OF REFERENCES
Andersson, T. ed. 2001. Getting started with electronic commerce: proceedings of the 1st
International Conference on Electronic Commerce, Geneva, October2-4, 2001.
Ecommerce Unlimited.
Barrow, J. ed. 1999. Cases in services marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Business Day. 2001. A test for the taxman, Business Day. 22 August. 13.

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Business Day. 2001. 27 September. 6.

Collins, J. 1997. Report on visit to international business schools. Report to the Unisa
Graduate School of Business Leadership. Unpublished.
Concise Oxford dictionary of current English. 1995. Ed. by Thompson, D. 9th ed. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
Cooper, P., Codd, J. & Smith, L. 1998. Research methods for management. London: ABC
Publications.
Crow, P. 1994. GATT shows progress in Congress. Oil and gas journal, [online], 92(49), 32
(1p) Available: Information Access/Expanded Academic Index ASAP/A 15955498 [Accessed
on: 28 November 1999]
Dent, P. and Jones, R. 1994. Planning at work. London: ABC Publications
Freeman, T. 1998. Leadership for South African Organisations: study guide for MBL019-L.
Pretoria: University of South Africa.
Heller, F. 1996. Leadership. In: Warner, M. Ed. International encyclopedia of business &
management. Vol 3. London: Routledge. 2541-2549.
How to deal with cultural diversity in the work place. 1999. Video. Based on book by Sally
WALTON. Chicago, IL: Jack Wilson and Associates.
International Encyclopaedia of Business & Management. 6 vols. 1996. ed. by M Warner.
London: Routledge.
International Monetary Fund. 1977. Balance of payments manual. 4th ed.
Washington,DC: International Monetary Fund.
James, T. IT Project Leader, E-Commerce Solutions Ltd. 2001. Correspondence. 1
September, Midrand.
Jay, P. (jayp54@hotmail.com) (9 March 2001) Re: Outsourcing supply. E-mail to M. Ndlovu
(mndlovu@unisa.ac.za).
Jones, D. 2001. Asmal says life-skills education will be enforced in every school, Business
Day. 22 August. 4.
Maggs, P. N. Director, E-Commerce Solutions Ltd. 2001. Personal interview. 27 September,
Midrand.
Miller, M. 1999. Trends in e-commerce, Internet magazine, [online]. 3(2),
86+. Retrieved December 17, 2000. From InfoTrac database.
http://infotrac.galegroup.com [Accessed December 17, 2000]

Available from:

Murray, J. 2001. E-commerce, is it that promising? PC Week. Manuscript submitted for

publication.
Omah, A. 2001. Service excellence in local business, People Dynamics. Manuscript in
press.
Opec countries agree to keep oil output steady. 2001. Business Day, 27 September. 8
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Palmer, A. 1998a. Principles of services marketing. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Palmer, A. 1998b. Relationship marketing. London: ABC Publications
Palmer, A. 1999. Services marketing is not new. In: Berry, J. and Swan, P. Eds, Services
marketing, concepts and cases. New York: McGraw-Hill. 101-120.
Radio 702. 2001. John Robbie show. Off-air recording. 8 March 2001. Audiotape.
SABC 3. 2000. News at 8. Off-air recording. 9 March 2000. Video.
Shaw, B. 1999. A journey through leadership challenges: interactive exercises. [CD-Rom]
Skyman, D. 2 May 2001. Electronic commerce. E-commerce. [online]. Available from EC
listserve@FTP.NRG.DTU.DK [accessed 30 June 2001]
Smith, J. 1999. Outsourcing logistics [online]. Chicago: Logistics International.
Available from: http://www.logisticsinternational.org.us/html [Accessed 28 November 1999].
Smith, J. 2000. An investigation of the impact of services marketing on the airline industry.
DBL Thesis. University of South Africa.
South Africa. Central Statistical Service. 1996. Statistical release. PO317. Pretoria:
Central Statistical Service.
Terrill, C.A. 1992. The ten commandments of new service development,
Management Review, 81(2): 24-27.
UNESCO. 1999. General information programme and summary of activities.
Paris: Unesco. (PGI-93/WS/22).
University of South Africa. Graduate School of Business Leadership. 1997.
Transforming organisations in South Africa: study guide for MBL018-C. Pretoria.
Wheeler, D. 2001. Getting to grips with e-supply chain. In: Andersson, T. ed. Getting
started with electronic commerce: proceedings of the 1st International Conference on
Electronic Commerce, Geneva, October 2-4, 2001. E-commerce Unlimited. 121-139

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